Marking in the book: To do or not do?

(Annotated Text: Image Source: WikiMedia)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiversity/en/f/fa/Annotating_Text.jpg)

 

"Eeeeeee!" screamed my sister at the top pitch. 

She looked with disgust as if a giant cockroach was sitting on the book. 

Agree; my handwriting resembles a cockroach walk, but I wasn't writing; I was marking the book! 

And my sister never marked in the book. 

Her books are spotlessly clean as if just bought from the shop. 

Mine is the opposite end. 

I mark the 100th page with name/purchase date as soon as I touch the book! 

I use a pencil, pen, marker, and highlighter, what-ever is handy for marking.  

In which camp are you? Do you mark it in the book or keep it clean! 

Here are few reasons, why you should mark the book. 

1. Marking has a long history. 

 Researchers found 1566 copy of Seneca's writing with annotation. Annotation is just a fancy or sophisticated word for marking. It's that old. It is not a new phenomenon. 

2. Marking can be completely clean!  

If you are like my sister, who screams at the sight of marking, you can use Post-It notes. They come in all sizes, colors, and varieties. They stuck quickly and didn't spoil the book. You can use them to take notes or marking in the book. Readers often use them in the library or borrowed books as well as expensive books. 

3.  Markings make reading an active process. 

Reading is a pretty passive process. But it need not be. You can make it active. 

Have a purpose for reading or have some questions in mind about the reading. You will suddenly slow down or skim some part. Your speed will vary, markings will vary. And your understanding and retention of reading material will go up. That's active reading. You can read more about "active reading here" 

4. Marking is a sign of respect for the author. 

This may take little time to digest. Think about your partner, spouse, friend, or teacher. If you agree with them, you say yes, you nod. If you disagree, you say no, or explain the rationale for opposing. 

And what if you ignore the person? Then you neither agree nor disagree. Neither you say yes nor no. You just ignore. Thus when you agree or disagree with the author. You are not ignoring the author; you are respecting them. You are reading actively. 

Marking is just making it explicit. Here is a quote that describes it beautifully.   

Marking a book is literally an experience of differences or agreements with the author. It is the highest respect you can pay to him. 

                    -Edgar Allen Poe. 

 Thus marking is a way to enter into conversation with the author. You converse only if you respect. 

5. Marking is creative. 

Marking can be done with various pens, pencils in different colors too. You are making it visually appealing. Even on Kindle or PDF versions, multiple colors and styles are available for marking. You can set your color coding too. For example, I use Yellow for highlight, Orange for Quotes, and Blue for unknown words or phrases. Readers often develop their coding for marking; it is like a floral formula used in biology. That only biologist understands, and your code only you. For instance, star/asterisk - for critical, Single dot for the article's objective, chapter, or topic sentence. Double dot for linkage to some other material and so on. You can find many such schemes online.  

Here is how Cal Newport marks. It's minimal and elegant. 

Here are some famous authors markings. My markings are like this. Often book becomes useless for others :-). 

Here is Pinterest collection of annotations. Particularly look at how Post-it stickers are used. 

6. Marking is a sign of a growing reader. 

The marking indicates your agreement/disagreement/linkages, questions/doubts raised.

Your conversation with the author has started. This conversation leads to a better understanding. Markings will lead to better notes, better summary, and better review in the next stage. 

Marking is the first step in this growth.  

Marking is a qualitative skill, a kind of art. That one develops as one keeps on practicing it. 

Graduate and doctoral students are often asked to prepare an annotated bibliography. 

Well-written annotated bibliographies are always in demand. Scholars even get paid (funding) to write/prepare an annotated bibliography, and they are often part of the proposal. 

So are you convinced now about learning nuances of marking? 

Whether you scream or scoff at markings and annotations, you must start doing and practicing it. 

7. Marking preserves book.

This sounds counterintuitive—a clean book you may be sold or given. 

But the marked and annotated book becomes your treasure. It has unique markings, your stamp on it; the marked book becomes priceless and thus a treasure for you. 

For example, As a faculty every year, I get OB (Organization Behavior) textbook. I have freely given OB book copies to others, except my first copy. 

When I studied OB first time as an FPM scholar, I bought Stephen Robbins OB Textbook. I marked it right and left, with multiple colors. The margins are used to write notes. 

The book was utterly "destroyed" (in good sense!). But at the time of term - the faculty changed the text to the "Ray Andre" version of OB. I got that copy too. And it is also a heavily marked version. 

So whenever anyone asked me about OB book, I gave them other editions of Stephen Robbins, but never my marked copy of the book. Thus marking preserves the book and makes it treasure! 

 

So I guess this small write-up would have convinced you to mark the book. So get the book, pen/pencil, and start marking! 

Next, we will see, how to translate markings into summaries. Stay tuned to this blog! 

Bonus: A beautiful opinion piece in New York Times on Marking or annotation: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/opinion/sunday/scribbling-in-the-margins.html 

 

 

How to keep yourself energize the whole day!

 

(Make Time: Brief Summary)

This image is the brief graphical summary of "Make Time".

It's prepared by a friend and book lover, "Norm". 

It's a very pragmatic and helpful book, particularly in the cacophony of "Time management". 

Book has a simple message. 

1. Find your highlight (Priority project). 
2. Block time for it in your daily schedule. 
3. Then focus like a laser with your full attention on this block. 
4. Ensure you are energized during this block period. 

That's it. 

The book outlines 82 different tactics for laser-like focus (attention) and energizing yourself. 

All of them are useful. Some may be more relevant to your context. 

Two tips that I loved and thought of following on energizing are this...

1. #Tip 61, 62. Exercise every day, but don't be a hero and Pound the pavement. 

2. # Tip 71 Caffeinate before you crash. 

1. Often, I used to feel guilty, when I couldn't exercise regularly or couldn't go for a walk. And I always used to be mesmerized with sculpted figures. And used to feel inferior too :-).  My relation with exercise is always love-n-hate. And being an introvert, plus book-lover, and on top of having desk based job made it doubly hard to imbibe any rigorous exercise routine. 

Then like a breeze came this tip. Exercise - but no need to be a hero. 

Around the same time, I have gone through the course "Sit Less, Get Active" on Coursera. It has a similar suggestion. Move for about 150 minutes over a week. No need to be stressed at one point. So I simply spread out my exercise or movement throughout the day. Morning little yoga, then a little 15-minute walk after breakfast, one after lunch, and then one long walk in the evening. It's spread throughout the day. Currently at about 7000 steps, and moving towards 10,000 steps in a day. 

I no more feel stressed or guilty. And I do feel more active throughout the day! 

2. the Second tip is about Coffee.

I love Coffee! 

For me, Coffee used to be an anytime drink. 

But after reading the book, I got the strategic time for having a cup.

Now I take it after my lunch. And then no coffee after it. 

This keeps me active and energetic in post-lunch sessions (approx. from 0200 to 0600), and it no more interferes with my sleep routine.  

I embraced these two tips. 

But you can scroll through 82 tips and choose the ones that are more useful to you. 

Keep yourself energized throughout the day and laser-sharp focus on your Highlighted task! 

Ten Things that I learned from “Surely, You’re Joking Mr. Feynman”

 

(Image Source: Amazon)

I read this book. It is a "book-of-the-month" in my book club. 

First I wonder, why haven't I read this book before! I was aware of the book and have even seen it multiple times when someone was reading it. As of this writing, the book is rated 4.25, with 171,849 ratings with 6302 reviews on Goodreads. A clear sign that it is a top-rated book. 

I not only enjoyed the book but learned a lot about how scholars and researchers approach life! 

And why was Feynman labeled as "most brilliant, iconoclastic and influential" by the New York Times. 

Book is worth your time, and it should be on your reading list, mainly if you are science bluff or interested in academic life. Book rekindled my interest in biographies and memoirs! 

Ten things that I learned by reading this humorous book. 

1. Allow kids, teenagers to explore. 

Being a father of a teenage daughter, sometimes her doubts and queries make me restless. But I shouldn't. In this memoir,  Feynman kept on exploring science and his interest in radio repairing, designing an auto-cutting tool for cutting beans. At one point, he almost burned his home; at another cut his finger. But that's the way kids learn. Let's encourage them. That's real learning. 

2. Even serious, sincere folks have fun and crazy times. You should too. 

Feynman stole the door of a hostel-mate in MIT! He kept banging his drum. This banging he did at midnight on the La Almos campus. La Almos was the site for the atomic bomb research.  He tried all weird tricks on girls to win them. He experimented with Hypnosis, mind-reading, and smelling like a dog. He even slept on the Sofa/Coach in Institute, where he joined the next day and enjoyed life.   

3. In a quest to specialize, don’t overlook interesting subjects. 

Feynman was a theoretical physicist. He excelled in it beyond doubt. But he also took biology as one of the particular subjects. Fellow students mocked him for his lack of basic knowledge and pronunciations of biology terms in that class. But he worked hard, found that it is easy to find research questions!  He studied to the extent of working with Watson (Of famous DNA inventor Watson & Crick). In his curriculum, he studied philosophy and worked on how to sleep and one's thoughts on sleep. He wrote a term paper on sleep and thoughts.  He developed and retained the knowledge until he got involved in the sense-deprivation tank and offered himself an experiment subject. 

4. Side hobbies will lead to expertise.

 

We often have some side hobby, side projects. But if you take it seriously, you can develop deep expertise in it. Feynman's second wife took him to Mexico to see Mayan ruins. For her, he read a bit and studied about Mayan culture. In later years, Experts called him to give a session on the Mayan culture and Babylon mathematics! He also learned safe cracking to the extent of befriending a professional safe-cracker.  

5. It isn't easy to work with the Government.

 

Though Feynman worked on the Manhattan project in later years, he found it challenging. In the selection stage - the Army rejected him on the grounds of mental health! Once, Army called him as an advisor. But acknowledging his lack of knowledge about the fuel consumption of tanks, he retracted. Once, he got involved with the selection of books for schools. He found that many people on the committee rated books even without reading them. (One of the books was completely blank with just a cover, it wasn't ready for print). Just a little bit of suggestion saved 2 million dollars for students. But consciously, he stayed away from Government projects.  

6. Trade skills make your living, but art makes your life. 

Feynman learned drumming. He even professionally played it in an Orchestra for ballet. He played in Brazil's Samba Festival too. He used to debate with an artist friend on art vs. science. To understand his point of view, he learned drawing and painting. The client commissioned Feynman to make a painting. And he even sold some of his images at elevated rates. And his life was fun.

7. Language learning is not only fun, but will enrich your experience. 

He learned multiple languages throughout the period. He babbled in Italian as a teenager - though it was wrong.  He met a girl at Party and learned sign language from her. He knew Portuguese before visiting Brazil. He played with the Japanese before visiting Japan. His experiences in these countries were completely different compared to his colleagues. He could interact with locals, had fun with girls, and went out of the way to enjoy the local culture.   

8. “Publicity is a whore!” 

Abraham Pais - his colleague and friend, said this. That time, Time magazine called Pais for an interview. Feynman agreed with this opinion. When Feynman received the Nobel prize, he asked a journalist - how he can refuse or decline the award as he realized that he would be in the limelight after that. On many occasions, Feynman has gone to extreme lengths to hide that he is visiting a place or talking to students in physics. He thought it ruined his peace. And those who are not interested in Physics are bothering him. 

9. If you want a satisfying job of your choice, stay clear of money. 

While working at Caltech, Feynman was offered a job in Chicago. But he didn't allow them to tell him the offer. And finally, he declined it. The offer was almost three times his existing salary. Even after conveying a paycheck, he refused it. He said that a higher salary would distract him from his work, which he enjoys more!  

10. Even scholars and experts struggled in their career!

Feynman wanted to work in Bell Labs. Bell Labs were using a lot of physics and inventing new things.  Feynman visited Bell labs frequently. He networked with his seniors and canvased for a job.  But he didn't get a job. Finally, he landed in a friend's startup unit as a chemist! That's where he started his career. So one of the great physicists of our time started his career as Chemist! 

(Cross Posted on GoodReads 

Getting Things Done (Book Review).

5 Minute: Quick Read.

 

(Image: Screen Shot from GoodReads My Profile Page )

 1 *. (One Star). 

  

Yes, I gave a one-star rating to Getting Things Done (GTD) on Goodreads. 

Probably it is the first such book in my collection.  

I am very well aware that it's against the tide. 

You can see that the book is rated by a high number of readers and often rated at 3 or 4 stars.  

There are a lot of fans too! 

But, please allow me to explain my views. 

I tried GTD sometime back but left it after a few pages. I couldn't proceed further. 

A friend now convinced its utility. The book is also on my wish-list of 39 HR-OB books. Again I started reading. I read it with a small reader group. We were reading a daily few pages (7 to 10), and then we discussed it online. And occasionally, we met online to discuss and share our views.  

I wanted to understand GTD clearly. So I read it slowly, savoring the substance. 

I took notes, and even sometimes made mind-maps of chapter concepts.  

But still, I couldn't relate to the book at all. 

One, In my opinion, the writing was not engaging at all. But that is fine; all may not be great writers. But the overall idea also wasn't appealing. I found it ordinary and common sense. The second -idea is not compact and tight. Still, I persisted and completed the book. Maybe something I was not able to appreciate. 

I even found David Allen's session delivered at Google and watched it. 

Instead of compact and tight, it spreads. Too many details and lists. At one point, David talked about 43 containers and several lists, so shall one need one meta-container and one meta-list to manage this all!  

There I lost it completely. 

Maybe I couldn't appreciate the book or its idea. I searched for reviews, reports, and videos about GTD. But in vain. 

I come across few criticisms—notably one from Cal Newport and one on creativity. I agree with them. GTD may be suitable for shallow work or people in the managerial mindset (Paul Graham's concept). They have long to-do lists and dynamic schedules. Typically, a doctoral student like me or a creative artist can't put time-box around his task list. It is challenging to follow GTD. 

I remember reading 7 Habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey. Though I don't follow his first-things-first system, it is much natural to plan month/week/day more like that. 

Moreover, there is an alternative view suggesting one can't manage time, but need to manage energy. "The Power of Full Engagement" - one more title on 39 HR-OB book-list outlines this. 

Such diverse views turmoil-ed the mind. The mind triggered radical thoughts. (For that I must thank my friend ). Do we need to squeeze so much in a day? Do we need a long to-do list? How about getting rid of time management need itself. Maybe we need to focus on essential-ism, or minimalism, or Power of Less - One more on the list of 39 HR-OB books. 

Finally, Adam Grant wrote a scathing criticism of the time management technique itself, and he recommended attention management as an alternative. It seems it is time to look at attention rather than managing time. 

What do you feel? 

Tribes: We need you to lead us. (Book Review).

5 Minutes, Quick Read.

(Image Source: Amazon India) 

Quick Summary: 

Book proposed a new type of leadership for the hyper-connected world, where anyone can be a leader. The book outlines "what" kind of leader tribe needs and "how" to be one. 

Intended Audience:  

The author is a marketing professional with a corporate background, but the book is generalized. It focuses on any leaders in any context -corporate, government, and non-profits. So professionals in any context will benefit from this. 

My Take on Book: 

Seth Godin, an author of  the book has 19 best-sellers to his credit, a popular blog with 2000+ articles, an innovative altMBA program, and a sought after key-note speaker. Generally leadership is a considered over-hyped topic. But the idea of Tribe is delivered on the TED platform (see below). And readers uplifted Seth Godin's book, creating their own complementary case-book. Seth wrote in his signature style of small bytes, and the book itself is smaller. Just above 100+ pages, one can read quickly over the weekend. But the small-scale book has a big-scale idea and can be scaled to really large-scale! 

Seth analyzed the history of idea adoption into three categories. First is the factory cycle. Inexpensive labor and fast machines were currencies in the factory model. And power is drawn from one's proximity to the CEO or Owner of the factory. Factories were efficient, output was measurable, and was generally stable. But labor and machine advantage faded, losing competitive advantage. The loss gave rise to the cycle of advertising and marketing. In this second category, the idea's moved from the mass market to branding. Firms still connected to the customers. But the flow of ideas moved from top to bottom and internally focused. And then the third cycle evolved with the advent of the internet. This third category is the tribe! 

A tribe is a "group of people connected to one another, leader, and idea". Two things define tribe, one is a shared interest, and two is a way to communicate. A peculiar characteristic is anybody can be a leader—something scary for managers living in the idea of factory cycle. Heretics - who challenged the status quo, traditions, and cultural artifacts led these tribes. The rise of the internet, outsourcing, fast spread word-of-mouth, and long-tail businesses gave massive leverage to tribe leaders. Tribes can be geographically unconstrained, internal, and can cross the boundaries of the organization. Tribe leaders don't need formal authority. They don't need a factory cycle. But leaders required organizations for a complex product, services, and massive scaling. But factory cycle is outdated for tribes. Bigger size doesn't drive tribe leaders; they are concerned about close-nit, tight connections. Tribes are suitable for communities, and leading them is the best life of all. 

An overall tribe is indispensable for anyone who has a useful idea or wishes to lead in the present-day community. 

Here is Seth Godin's TED talk on the idea of the tribe. Eighteen minutes of Ted-talk layout the concept. 

[ This book is the part of 39 books on mastering people skills - a list of HR-OB books].

39 surprising books on mastering People Skills!

Long Post

(Image-Source: Wikimedia)

Listicle 

When is the last time you wrote a book-list for your use! 

We eagerly wait for BillGates, BarackObama, or Shashi Tharoor book list. They are popular not only for celebrity nature but for the ideas they advocate. They guaranteed good reading! 

Many book-lists are just a clickbait. For instance, I was looking for a stress-related book.  A popular website had close to 100 books. Surprisingly the best seller and influential, “WhyZebra’s don’t get ulcers” was absent! 

 So, I am a bit skeptical of lists. It’s puzzling to find a trustworthy book-list. 

Hence, it makes sense to create your book-list period! 

I just wanted a good list of an HR and Organization behavior related book list.

So, I prepared one. 

I am blogging it, one for the benefit of all, two for further inputs. 

I looked at the best-seller “personal MBA” and the associated book list. I liked the idea and its execution. Thousands of hours of reading, research, discussion, and analysis have gone into book-list. 

One sentence sums up the essence. It says 

“Each book in the list has been selected for a single purpose: to maximize your educational return on invested time.” 

Benficial claim, isn’t it? (For example, I read another 250-page book. Its author could have covered it in just 30 to 40 pages. The author has two blog posts covering it.). 

Hence the criterion of educational return on invested time is enticing. 

How have I prepared this list? 

The personal MBA book-list has 99 books. The table of content has 11 categories. Three of 11 categories, interest me as an HR and Organization behavior student, 

1. The Human mind [Chapter 6]

2. Working with Yourself [Chapter 7]

3. Working with Others [Chapter 8]

I looked at each topic in these chapters, wrote down the book covering the topic. More topics from the book soared its rank (for each occurrence, one point). Finally, I arrived at 39 titles. They are listed below. [Rough work scribbled here.] Higher rank indicates a more significant  number of topics from that book. (For instance – 1st book – Thinking Fast and slow –represents 17 topics). Goodreads rank is in the bracket.

I have read a few of them, and the rest are on my wish-list. I intend to work on this list. So, if the book deserves on this list, please comment –add the reason also. And don’t forget to apply the criteria of “return on invested time”.  

I will consider comments, views, etc. while revising the list. 

Book links pointed to the personal MBA website. The original author deserves credit. 

Here goes the list. 

1.       Thinking Fast and Slow [4.15]

This immensely popular book of a Nobel Laureate, found even on various scholars list, is his lifetime work. Its canvas is big. It has the highest number of topics discussed in the mentioned three categories. Indeed, a must-read! 

2.      Crucial Conversations [4.03]

Amazon’s  2000+ ratings, with 78% five stars, Business Insider’s one of the most popular business books, makes it a must-read.  One detailed review is available here.   

3.      How to win friends and influence people [4.20] 

I had a grim view of self-help books, surprising me this entry on the list. My skepticism remains, but I am more accommodating of this title. It enjoys 16,000 plus ratings on Amazon with 81% five stars. It’s on Time’s top 100 most influential books of all time. Thirty Million copies of 1936 book are in circulation. Envy of any writer and publisher. It has set a different tone and genre among self-help books. See the Wikipedia page for detailed coverage. 

4.      A guide to the good life [4.22] 

Philosophy professor William Irvine’s website says," Since its publication, the book has had a significant impact on many readers". It claims to make you "thoughtful observer of your own life".  

5.      

  Making sense of behavior [4.04] 

Author William Powers, a medical physicist had an interest in psychology. He developed a perceptual control theory. Pavlov’s dog and B.F. Skinner's pigeon restrict humans to stimulus-response. However, William's  central idea goes against the concept of human as stimulus-response machines. You can find one detailed review here.   

6.      Brain Rules [4.02] 

A molecular biologist  John Medina  teaches brain working and its complex structure. The book outlines action points to develop brainpower.  You can find all the brain rules on John’s website. For a visually appealing feast, presentation expert Garr Reynolds of Zen presentation has covered brain rule’s three chapters in the slide show here.   

7.  The 48 Laws of Power [4.18] 

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Robert Greene distilled power elite history of years, along with his experience of power elites, and brought out this 1998 best-seller. It's called mega-cult classic and even psychopath’s bible. It is reported to be most widely read among prison inmates. Anybody interested in conflict, power, politics, and board-room games, this is a must-read.

                             

          
“Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and
competent”


― Robert Greene, the 48 Laws of Power

8.      The Power of full engagement [4.04] 

Time management tops the soft-skills agenda. But time is a fixed entity; one can't manage it. One’s energy needs to be managed and not the time.  The book is scientific and tested. It is the New York Times bestseller too. Reading original books is always a joy. But in case you want the condensed version, look at this Harvard business review article – Manage your energy, not your time. I have repeatedly used in executive sessions. -pretty useful stuff.   

9.   Myths of Innovation [3.85] 

Innovation is a buzz word in business circles. The whole TED ecosystem is spreading innovative ideas. This widely discussed book is a hilarious take on a history of ideas. It unfolds ten myths about innovation. 

               Josh Kauffman says, 

After reading Myths of Innovation, you’ll be prepared to capture and experiment with promising ideas whenever, wherever, and however they show up.  

10.   Accidental Genius [3.95] 

Harold Fernandes, a friend, and toastmaster conducted an online writing workshop. He proved the power of free writing. That was an enriching experience. This book is about free-writing, shutting up your internal critic, and bringing out one's inner thinking. It is an indispensable guide for anyone dealing with ideas, content, and creativity.  

11.    The 80/20 Principle [4.02] 

Everyone wants to be efficient by investing less and more return. Pareto principle or 80/20 principle is an in-depth look at this. Sales, customer, or inventory analysis widely uses the rule, but the book applied it to even work-life balance. Thus, an indispensable guide for business and personal life.  

12.    Sources of Power [3.97] 

In a high performing situation like rescue operations, military operations – it's challenging to apply models taught in business schools. Gary Klein studied these situations. He figured out quick and accurate decision making in these situations. “Sources of Power” is the outcome of this research.   

13.Smart Choices [4.02]

 

In routine business operations, you collect data and apply decision-making models. How do you make such decisions? For instance, where do I live? Is it the right time to hop? Or which financial planner to hire? Or maybe which is the right business model for this non-profit? This book shows such decision making. 

14. The Creative Habit [4.04] 

The way the book's subtitle suggests, "Learn it and use it for life". The author Twyla Tharp – a choreographer, shows how to use mundane routine rituals, structures, and doodling using 32 different exercises. A book is an excellent resource for tapping one's creative side for business success.

“I read for growth, firmly believing that what you are today and what you will be in five years depends on two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”

― Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

1 15. The path of least resistance [4.07] 

Choreographer wrote the previous title (The creative habit), and the music composer wrote this title. The list has many such surprising elements. Fritz, the authors claim process musicians used for the creative outcome are the same as the business people use. He mentions "Structural tensions" and minimizing them flows creativity flows. Here is one chapter-wise summary of the book. 

16.   The Power of Less [3.78]  

Every day 6 to 10 items end on my to-do list, though 6 is the upper limit. Still, I do. My bucket list is 112 items long. I need this book. Certainly, a first on my wish-list. Author Leo Babuta's blog, his ideas on minimalism are influential. Sharon from Goodreads (rated book as five stars) is saying...    

Everyone should read this book -- every person who isn't already on Mr. Babauta's plan or plans for making changes that will change lives. If you're stressed, have too much on your plate, never have time to relax and do things you're passionate about, read this. If you want to make changes in almost any area of your life, read this book. Everything about this book is doable and will work if you will just do it. If you give up easy, well there's a chapter on that too.

 (Source: GoodRead review)  

17. Getting Things Done [3.99]  

This book enjoys immense popularity (with 3000+ Amazon ratings) and cult-like following, particularly among IT professionals. Popularly labeled as GTD, is a system that transforms ideas, random thoughts, and long to-do lists into a productive system. GTD has a dedicated website with a lot of resources and a questionnaire that can figure out your current system's current level, a starting point for further progress.  

18.  Innovation and Entrepreneurship [4.06] 

Peter Drucker, the most influential thinker on the Thinkers50 list, systematically explored innovation and entrepreneurship in this title. The book outlines the specific seven ways to identify the opportunity for business innovation. If you are an entrepreneur, innovator, or steering the firm, this is a must-read.   

19.  Strengths Finder 2.0 [3.94] 

Amazon’s 4600+ ratings, consistent on the bestseller list, this book promises to identify and build your strengths. I used it for job-crafting to leverage my strengths; you can see one interesting application here too. It’s a quick one-sitting read. Do not forget to buy a new hard-copy of the book. It comes with a code; you can redeem it on the strengths finder website to take the assessment. 

1 20. The Halo effect [3.94]   

Management gurus clarify success and failures in books, articles, and presentations peppered with data and analysis. But this is not what is acceptable as “evidence-based practice". Author Phil Rosenzweig doesn't mince his words and takes high profile names like in search of excellence, Good to great, & Built to last, etc. He blames them as "business bedtime stories".   The book is sure to make one skeptic. Here is the author’s article at the Mckinsey portal.  

21. The effective executive [4.08] 

The  book's motto is not only to "get things done" but also "get right things done at right time". It outlines five important executive functions 1. Managing time, 2. What to contribute to organization 3. Where and how to mobilize strength 4. right priorities, 5. Getting it all together for effective decisions. Author, Peter Drucker’s Harvard business review article on the same topic “What makes an effective executive”.  

.22.  Essential Drucker [4.12]  

Peter Drucker's, only repeating author on the list, has a third book on this list. I feel odd that I haven’t read much of Drucker. I use Drucker’s popular article managing yourself in my classes. Here is one excellent summary of it. This is a collection of his 26 best articles, which may be a great start to read his work.   

23. The elements of great managing [3.98] 

This Gallup’s 2006 New York Times’s best-seller articulates about engaging employees, the greatest asset of any firm. It is backed by solid primary research, like their other books. It blends insights from psychology, sociology, neuroscience with cases on patient-care, call center, and hotel. Here one review of the book.  

24.   Total leadership [4.05] 

Stewart Friedman, Wharton professor, consulted a wide range of organizations. He argues good leadership is not about a business only but needs to be useful in all spheres of life. It’s a national bestseller. For those who wish to learn more, his course is also available on Coursera.   

 25.  Influence the psychology of persuasion [4.19] 

It is the go-to book for anything related to influence or persuasion. I used it for my toastmaster project CC#9 – persuasive speech. I used it in teaching persuasion to the working professionals. It is so nicely written. Book talks about 6 different ways compliance professionals use to pursue others.  It is backed by solid research from the area of psychology, social psychology, anthropology, and economics. A must-read for every b-school student. 

     26.  Your money or your life [4.07] 

A surprise entry on this list. This book claims to change your relationship with money forever. It differentiates between making a living and making a life. Here is a detailed summary of the book.

27. The millionaire next door [4.03] 

This is also the New York Times bestseller. The 20+ research years show the real wealthy, neither act like wealthy nor clustered in the wealthy white-collar communities, which was a bit shock to authors. It uncovers the odd habits of wealthy people and seven common traits. The first chapter of the book is available here.  

28. Growing great employees [4.00] 

The book subtitle says, "Turning ordinary people into extraordinary performers". We talk strategy, a vision like tactical things, and undermine helping direct reports grow and develop. Something book claims and deliver. Here is a detailed review or summary. The book is full of workable tips, so a must-read on the manager's wish-list.

29. The New leader's 100-day Action Plan [3.99] 

Like an Olympic runner’s start, the first few days are critical for success in a leadership position. There is no "onboarding" methods. Leaders need to devise their process. This book provides a perfect road-map for the first 100 days in a leadership position. Book has downloadable forms and charts. Harvard business press also has a popular title labeled the first 90 days.  

30.   I will teach you to be rich [4.1]

In general, I don't trust quick tips on "how to be rich".  But personal MBA author Josh Kauffman is persuasive about this book. He cites two reasons – one - book is an excellent resource for online businesses blended with personal finance. And two – it has excellent tips on negotiation. Book is New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. So certainly not something one should shun immediately. Let's take a closer look at this.

31. First, break all the rules [3.92] 

400 firms, 80,000 interviews, boiled to 12 rules, brings out New York Times bestseller, and Times one of the best 25 business books of all time. In plain language, it highlights exceptional managers. An indispensable guide for breaking managerial myths and rules. Like a strength’s finder, this trusts employees’ strengths and nurturing.

32.  Tribes [3.81]

Seth Godin’s blog is the epitome of distinct style, small and thoughtful posts, and persuasive argument. Evident in this book too. He argues for a tribe and leading it in an internet-connected world. The tribe is "...a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate". A book must work for anyone with ideas and wishes to spread.  

33. Fail-Safe Investing [3.95] 

In my earlier avatar in IT services for investment banking, "Fail-Safe" used to be the buzz word. Fail-Safe systems will weather any storm. For instance, incidence like 9/11 or earthquakes happens; how do businesses ensure your credit card or customer transactions are not impacted at all. Key is "Fail-Safe". This book gives the same strategy for investments. Must to know for today’s volatile world.

34. Hire with your head [3.99] 

Hiring is the most essential place where most HR professionals start their careers. Surprisingly very few good books are dedicated to this art and science. The author has come with five rule performance-based hiring acronym-ed as POWER- an excellent start for any HR aspirant. 

35. The ultimate Sales Machine [3.97] 

My intention is HR n Organization behavior book-list. I became a skeptic with sales/investment-related titles.  I examined them closely in reviews, in table-of-content, and summaries with squinted eyes. And included only when convinced, the book in the list is not an accident.  This is one such gem on the list. Just look at this one review on Goodreads, 

“Re-read this book every 30 days for a year, maybe two years, and if you are not at the top of the game then it is time to find a new game”.

Such a strong recommendation.

3      36.  Psychology of Selling [4.19]

A sale is a tough job. No wonder, businesses chase competent sales professionals. Book is highly recommended for sales professionals. Books amazon page's first line sums up it as, "Double and triple your sales in any market." So, must on your wish-list.  

37.   Bargaining for advantages [3.95]

It is the Wharton negotiation lab director’s book. The negotiation skills in the face-to-face world are not sharp for email, message apps. This book addressed such issues for the online-world. This is considered a must for every negotiator.

        38.   What got you here, won’t get you there [3.98] 

Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 member, top executive coach, & influencer penned this title. This book is about thriving managers but failed to reach c-suite glory. Your skills and education may get you in mid-management, but some small/minor behavioral flaws will stop you from moving into the C-suite role. Goldsmith has identified the top 20 bad habits ending people on the ladder. The book provides a workaround on them. Goldsmith is an advocate of giving back. He ran 100 coaches project, and there is a wealth of material available on his website.  

39.   Deep Survival [3.93]

This is not a typical business book. It uses story-telling and scientific knowledge for the human mind working threatened with survival. Businesses are becoming weird with layoffs, recessions, complete shutdown, and even overnight bankruptcy (like Lehman Brothers). So how does one survive such change? That's what you will learn while reading this gem.  

Epilogue: 

Thus, my reading wish-list is ready. At the time of writing, of 39 items, I am aware of only 13 and have read just 5. I wish to continue adding the list.

My longest blog-post ever, and took a long time to note down. First, I reverse-engineered the personal MBA book-list, then assessed each title for its value addition.  I don't claim this to be a perfect or ideal reading list. But a good start of purposeful reading. I will post reviews or/and my comments. Stay tuned. 

[After I prepared this list and blog-post, I came across Derek Sivers, this post. It confirmed to me that I am on the right path for this book-list!] 

Please do comment if you have any observations and suggestions/additions. I will revise the list for future use. Maybe together we can come up with 99 or 101 best books to read for people-skills soon. Stay tuned.   

In case you want to download/access the list of these 39 books, it is available on below link. [Thanks Umesh Patil for this suggestion ]

  [List of 39 HR-OB related Books]